This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Piper, S. Articles by Parks, P. L. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Piper, S. Articles by Parks, P. L. Pubmed/NCBI databases Medline Plus Health Information Breast Feeding Infant and Newborn Care Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Use of an Intensity Ratio to Describe Breastfeeding Exclusivity in a National Sample

Catholic University of America School of Nursing, Washington, D.C.; 4203 Howard Road, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA

Peggy L. Parks, PhD

Health Care Finance Administration, Baltimore, Maryland

Breastfeeding behavior in a sample of 1863 mother-infant pairswas examined using data from the 1988 National Maternal-Infant Health Survey. Breastfeeding behavior was operationalized as an intensity ratio, calculated as the number of breast milk feeds (on average in 24 hours) divided by the total number of all liquid feeds (on average in 24 hours), with a range from 0 to 1.0. During the first month postpartum, 61% of the sample reported exclusive breastfeeding, declining to 31% during months 2-3 postpartum and to 13% during months 4-6 postpartum. This declinewas consistent with the linear decline in the mean intensity ratio, .82, .55, and .31, respectively, during the same three time periods. A higher breastfeeding intensity ratio was significantly associated with longer duration of breastfeeding, up to 1 year of life. Intensity ratio, as a measure of exclusivity, is a useful outcome measure for monitoring breastfeeding behavior.

Key Words: breastfeeding • feeding patterns • exclusive breastfeeding

Journal of Human Lactation, Vol. 17, No. 3, 227-232 (2001)
DOI: 10.1177/089033440101700306


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				K. A. Bonuck, M. Trombley, K. Freeman, and D. McKee Randomized, Controlled Trial of a Prenatal and Postnatal Lactation Consultant Intervention on Duration and Intensity of Breastfeeding up to 12 Months Pediatrics, December 1, 2005; 116(6): 1413 - 1426. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]